Machine for debarking slabs



Oct. 7, 1958 Filed Oct. 8. 1956 MACHINE FOR DEBARKING SLABS F. DILLINGHAM 2,855,011

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Y F L. D/LL/NGHAM ATTORNEYS Oct. 7, 1958 F. L; DILLINGHAM MACHINE FOR DEBARKING SLABS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 8, 1956 FIG? INVENTOR E L. D/LL/IVGHAM ATTORNEYS United States Patet MACHINE FOR DEBARKING SLABS Frederick Laurence Dilliugham, Sylacauga, Ala., assignor to Soderhamn Machine Manufacturing Co., Talladega, Ala.

Application October 8, 1956, Serial No. 614,559

8 Claims. (Cl. 144-208) The present invention relates broadly to the art of wood-waste-handling equipment.

More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for removing bark from wood lengths. Specifically, the wood lengths are slabs removed from a saw log during the process of sawing lumber.

This application embodies certain features of my prior filed application Serial No. 606,883, filed August 29, 1956, and entitled Log Debarking Apparatus.

The prior art is replete with mechanisms which remove bark from logs. Certain of these arrangements utilize jet means under high pressure against a log. Other arrangements utilize tool bodies applied to the surface of a log in a system in which the log and tool body or bodies move relative to one another both in an axial and rotary sense to remove the bark.

The present invention, however, is directed to an arrangement in which slab logs which include a fiat side and an arcuate bark-bearing side are fed to movable bark-removing means constructed and arranged to remove the bark from the arcuate side of the slab log.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a debarking mechanism that is economical to produce, operate and maintain, and including component to the line of feed of the slabs, and constructed and arranged to remove the bark from the slab despite the arcuate contour thereof.

It is a further object to provide such a debarking machine that is of strong rigid construction, safe and simple in operation, and one that requires no immediate personnel in connection with its operation.

Further and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection'with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a debarking machine for removing bark from slab logs,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the arrangement in Figure l as viewed from the right, and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of Figure l.

As is clear from the drawings, the debarking machine includes a frame structure denoted generally at A, including four upright channeled supporting legs 1. The channeled legs at the outfeed side of the machinethe right hand side of Figure 1--are connected by a trans- Patented Oct. 7, 1958 "ice verse tubular brace 2. Longitudinally extending channeled side frame members 3 are welded to the upright legs 1, in an arrangement in which superposed channeled members 3 extend along each side of the frame. At the infeed side of the machine vertically disposed channeled frame members 4 are welded to the exterior of the side frame members 3. As shown, these channeled members 4 do not extend to the supporting level. Transverse bracing columns 5 are provided between the channeled members 4 above and below the side frame members. A plurality of involute conical rollers 6 are supported for rotation with shafts 7 that are journaled in bearing blocks 8 welded to the under surfaces of the lowermost side frame members 3. These rollers constitute a pair of infeed rollers and a pair of outfeed rollers, respectively disposed on opposite sides of the debarking means. A drive is imparted to the rollers by means including a motor 9 suitably supported on the top of the frame structure driving a drive belt 10 trained over a pulley 11, this pulley being a double pulley, secured to the shaft 7 of the secondas regards the direction of feed infeed roller. On the opposite side of the frame the shafts 7 of the pair of infeed rollers are connected for simultaneous rotation by a belt 12 trained over pulleys 13 on the respective roller shafts. On the side of the frame adjacent the belt 10 the pulley section 11' of the double pulley accommodates a belt 14 trained over a pulley 15 on the shafts 7 of the first outfeed roller. The shafts of the pair of outfeed rollers are interconnected for simultaneous rotation by a belt and pulley drive arranged on the opposite side of the frame, including a driving belt 16. It is clear, therefore, that rotation of the motor shaft drives all of the feed rollers, that is, both pairs, to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows to feed slabs.

An elongated slab, denoted at 17, is fed to the machine either by hand or from a suitable conveying arrangement. The slab is fed with its arcuate side down and the rollers feed the same from left to right, as shown in the drawings, since the arcuate side is in contact with the rollers. To ensure that the slab will continue to be fed with the arcuate side down and in contact with the rollers, a plurality of weighted hold-down means are embodied with the frame structure. These hold-down means include steel plate members 18, being T-shaped in plan, as is clear from Figure 3. Each plate member is pivotally mounted along its wider portion on a shaft 19, the shaft 19 on the left hand or infeed side of the machine being mounted between the channel-shaped uprights 4, while the other shafts 19 are mounted in bearing blocks 20 welded to the top of the top side frame members on each side of the frame. This permits the weighted hold-down members to have swinging movement about horizontal axes. The narrow and outer slabcontacting portion of each hold-down member consists of a shaft portion 21 welded on the end of the steel plates, the narrow portion of the hold-down members and the length of the shaft portions 21 being at least coextensive in length to the rollers.

In order to prevent the hold-down means coming in contact with the rollers when there are no slabs in the machine, suitable stop pins 22 are mounted in the side frame members.

It is believed clear that the afore-described arrangement effects the feeding forward from left to right of the consecutive slabs with the bark-bearing portion in contact with the rollers and the straight shaft portions on the weighted hold-down means ensuring continued movement of the slabs in the initial position of feeding.

To effect debarking, a chain-flail arrangement as disclosed in Figures 12 and 13 of my abovementioned prior application, is mounted for rotation about a horizontal axis between the endas regards the feeding direction of the infeed rollerand, the first outfeed roller. The flail arrangement, as denoted generally at B, includes a horizontal supporting shaft 23 supported on suitable bearings 24 that are welded to the vertical supporting legs 1 in the center of the machine. A pulley 25 is carried by a protruding portion of the shaft 23 on the remote side of the frame, as viewed in Figure 1. Over this pulley is trained a belt 26 that is likewise trained over a pulley 27 mounted on the shaft of a driving motor 28 that is likewise supported on top of the frame structure. The debarking flail head is so constructed and arranged that the chain-link members rotatable at suitable speed by the driving motor will contact the arcuate side of the slab 17 as it passes over the flail assembly, with the path of movement of the outer ends of the chain-link units corresponding substantially to the arcuate curvature of the slab. As indicated in said prior-filed application, the flail-carrying shaft 23 has four fins or vanes 29 extending radially therefrom. Each is similar in construction, and reinforcing webs 30 are provided at the opposite ends of each vane. Two of the vanes that are diametrically opposed accommodate four chain-link units, while the other pair of diametrically opposed vanes accommodate three chain-link units. The spacing of the respective link units along the axis of the flail shaft is such that during rotation the paths of movement described by the two sets of three chain-link units lies between the link units of the other vanes.

As also disclosed in the prior application, the chain units for each vane include a half link, or U-shaped component, positioned in slots extending inwardly from the outer edges of the vanes. A pair of metal holding or clamping strips are mounted on opposite sides of each vane and interposed between the respective metal clamping strips and adjacent the facing of the respective vanes are rubber strips. A rubber buffer strip is also provided for each vane with all the strips being clamped by suitable connecting means to the vanes. The details of the flail unit are claimed in the prior application.

It is clear, therefore, that in operation a slab 17 is fed forward by the infeed roller 6 with the hold-down means insuring proper feeding relation to the flail unit B. As the slab passes over the flail unit the rotation thereof Will bring the ends of the chain link members into contact with the bark in a manner in which the arrangement of the chain units effectively contacts substantially the entire arcuate contour of the slab. After the slab passes the flail assembly the outfeed rollers and cooperating hold-down means insure proper outfeed of the debarked slab.

It is to be pointed out that the disposition of the holddown means and the weight thereof is such, and in relation to the length of the slab units being debarked, that effective bark removal is obtained in a simple and economical fashion. Thus, as long as the feed rollers and flail unit are rotated the machine will operate to remove bark from slabs fed successively thereto in end-to-end relation by any suitable conveying mechanism. An outfeed conveying arrangement of the troughed-roller type can be associated with the outfeed side of the machine to convey away debarked slabs such as at 31.

What is claimed is:

l. A debarking machine for removing bark from slab logs and each of which logs is plane-convex in cross section so as to define an arcuate bark-bearing side and an opposite flat side, said mechanism comprising means for feeding slabs with their arcuate sides down, means pivotally mounted above the path of feed and engageable with such opposite flat sides of successively fed slabs and constraining such slabs to move' only in the initial path of feed, bark-removing means mounted subjacent the feeding path for removing bark from arcuate sides of such slabs, and means in alignment with said feeding means for conveying debarked slabs away from the debarking means.

2. In a slab-debarking machine of the type including movable means for feeding a slab with its arcuate barkbearing side directed downwardly, means pivotally mounted about a horizontal axis transverse of the line of feed and located above the line of feed for engaging an opposite flat surface of a fed slab to prevent upward movement thereof and to constrain such a slab to feed in a predetermined path, and rotary debarking means mounted below the path of movement of a fed slab and including bark-removing components rotatable about an axis transverse to the line of feed and constructed and arranged to remove bark from such arcuate side of a fed slab.

3. A debarking machine for removing bark from slab logs including movable means for feeding a slab with its arcuate bark-bearing side directed downwardly, means engaging an opposite flat surface of a fed slab to prevent upward movement thereof and to constrain such a slab to feed in a predetermined path, rotary debarking means mounted below the path of movement of a fed slab and comprising a rotary shaft having a plurality of opposed pairs of vanes extending radially outwards of its axis, a plurality of chain units distributed along each vane in mutually spaced relation, the number of units on one vane being different than the number of units on the next adjacent vane, the spacing between the respective units on the respective vanes being such that each of the units on one vane move in a rotary path between a pair of units on the next adjacent vane so that during rotation of the shaft the units of all the vanes move in planes spaced axially along the shaft to sweep bark from substantially the entire transverse dimensions of a fed slab, and each vane having an arcuate outer edge substantially conforming to the arcuate contour of a slab with the chain units being so mounted on the respective vanes that when extended in response to centrifugal force the outer ends of the units on each vane lie in a substantially arcuate line.

4. A debarking machine for removing bark from slab logs including movable means for feeding such a slab with its arcuate bark-bearing side down comprising troughed feed rollers and means for rotating the same, means engaging an opposite flat side of a fed slab to prevent upward movement thereof, said last-named means comprising weighted hold-down members pivotally mounted about horizontal axes above the line of feeding movement and including a lower, straight slab-engaging surface, and rotary debarking means mounted below the path of movement of a fed slab and including barkremoving components rotatable about an axis transverse to the line of feed and constructed and arranged to remove bark from such arcuate side of a fed slab.

5. A machine for removing bark from slab logs comprising a frame structure including upright supporting means and spaced sides, a plurality of shafts carried by the frame and extending transversely of the sides thereof, troughed roll means carried by the shaft, means for rotating the shafts in a slab-feeding direction including a mechanism interconnecting all the shafts for simultaneous rotation in said direction, whereby a slab introduced into engagement with the roll at the infeed side of the frame is fed forward in a substantially horizontal line of movement with its arcuate bark-bearing side facing downwards, horizontal pivot means carried by the frame above said rolls, weighted hold-down means carried by said pivot means and adapted to engage a flat upper surface of -a fed slab, at least two of the rolls intermediate the opposite ends of the frame being horizontally spaced a substantial distance, a rotary shaft carried by the frame, said last-mentioned shaft extending transversely of the frame and intermediate said two rolls and said last-mentioned shaft being mounted below the line of feeding movement, rotary bark-removing means mounted on said last-mentioned shaft including barkremoving components movable during rotation to engage such arcuate side of a fed slab to remove bark therefrom as such slab passes over said last-mentioned shaft, and means for driving said last-mentioned shaft to actuate the bark-removing means during debarking.

6. A machine for removing bark from slab logs as claimed in claim 5, and further including abutment means mounted below the level of said horizontal pivot means and cooperable with the respective hold-down means to limit the vertical swinging movement thereof in the direction toward said rolls to prevent the hold-down means damaging the rolls when there are no slabs being fed to or through the machine.

7. A machine for removing bark from slab logs as claimed in claim 5 in which said weighted hold-down means comprise plate members T-shaped in plan, said horizontal pivot means comprising plural pivots spaced longitudinally of the frame, the wider portion of the respective plate members being mounted on the respective pivots and the narrow and outer slab-contacting portion of each plate member having an extent transversely of the frame at least coextensive in length with the length of the troughed roll means.

8. A machine for removing bark from slab logs as claimed in claim 7 and abutment pins mounted on the side frame members below the level of said horizontal pivot means and extending inwardly of the frame members and cooperable with the wider portion of the respective plate members to limit the vertical swinging movement thereof in the direction toward said roll means, to prevent the plate members damaging the roll means when there are no slabs being fed to or through the machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,009,950 Anderson Nov. 28, 1911 1,818,657 Talbott et al Aug. 11, 1931 2,343,310 Lohmann Mar. 7, 1944 2,520,421 Mathewson et al Aug. 29, 1950 2,792,860 Watkins May 21, 1957 

